The Baha'i World Faith, which began in Iran in the mid-19th century, was brought to America in 1892 by a Lebanese convert who would later fall out of favor with the main body. The religion’s central teachings include a oneness of humanity and of religions, equality of the sexes, universal peace and the separation of religion and politics. By the early 20th century, there were an estimated 1,000 Baha’is in North America. These adherents became the catalyst behind the building of a new temple.It took nearly a half-century to design and build the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette, Ill. Dedicated in 1953, with its laced dome rising next to Lake Michigan, the temple is the only one of its kind in North America.There are an estimated 750,000 in the United States, the largest community outside of India.